The National Democratic Congress’ 2020 Parliamentary Candidate for the Awutu Senya East Constituency in the Central Region, Naa Koryoo Okunor, says the decision by the Ghana Armed Forces to reassign Lieutenant Colonel Frank Agyeman to the 64 Infantry Battalion as a Commanding Officer after his withdrawal from the National Security, is “disrespectful and a slap in the faces of Ghanaians.”
Speaking on Citi TV‘s Breakfast Daily programme on Wednesday, May 26, 2021, Naa Koryoo Okunor, who’s also a member of the NDC’s National Communication team, said the state cannot be trusted to punish the persons involved in the arrest and subsequent assault on Citi FM and Citi TV Journalist, Mr. Caleb Kudah.
She thus called on well-meaning Ghanaians to speak up against Lt. Col. Agyeman’s new appointment.
“Until Caleb Kudah was beaten, we all knew that these people perpetrating these criminal acts are not proper members of the National Security, but the government wants us to see and brand them as such. We know that these guys are state-sponsored terrorists just to harm people and destroy lives. I say this because we know that National Security is supposed to be an intelligence-gathering agency.”
“They (National Security) are to gather very intelligent and pertinent pieces of information for the government and the Ghana Police Service to use, but just look what they have been doing all these while. And shamefully after they assaulted Caleb Kudah that we (Ghanaians) expected the State to properly investigate and sanction those involved, Lt. Col Agyeman has been appointed into another key position. Such acts are disrespectful and a slap in our faces and I urge all well-meaning Ghanaians to speak up against this.”
On the same issue, the Director of Legal Affairs of the NDC, Mr. Abraham Amailiba, has called on the Ghana Armed Forces to withdraw the appointment and ensure that he (Mr. Agyeman) is probed and sanctioned for his actions.
“Lt. Col Agyeman’s appointment is not just a disrespect to Ghanaians, but an insult to Ghanaians. Why Am I saying this? This is a gentleman who was seconded to the National Security and committed offences at the Secretariat and has been released of his duties at the Ministry, and then he goes back to his mother unit, and he is appointed rather than asking him to step aside so that investigations are conducted. This is shameful, an insult, and a disrespect to Ghanaians, and we should not allow this to happen.”
About Lt. Col Agyeman’s new appointment
The temporary transfer of Lieutenant Colonel Frank Agyeman and three police officers to the Ministry was terminated for inappropriate conduct following the arrest and assault of Citi News’ Caleb Kudah, and the harassment of Zoe Abu Baidoo Addo, also a Citi FM journalist.
The statement that announced the decision of the National Security Ministry also directed that Lieutenant Colonel Frank Agyeman and the other officers must be probed further for the necessary actions to be taken.
It is unclear for now whether this further probe has taken place.
As a result, Lieutenant Colonel Frank Agyeman’s new appointment has come as a surprise to many Ghanaians who have criticized it.
About Caleb Kudah’s ordeal
Caleb Kudah was arrested for filming some abandoned cars at the Ministry of National Security, a supposed restricted security zone.
He was at the Ministry to verify a claim by an official of MASLOC that all the cars had been given out, following complaints about the wastage of public funds on social media.
A team of heavily-armed SWAT police officers was subsequently dispatched to arrest Citi News‘ Zoe Abu-Baidoo Addo at the premises of Citi FM/Citi TV.
This is because Caleb had forwarded the footage he captured to Zoe via WhatsApp.
Following his release, Caleb recounted harrowing experiences during his time with the National Security operatives, saying he was slapped several times and kicked in the groin.